CMS Partners told residents at a roughly 50-unit Malden building that recyclables mixed with trash would be sorted later. The Massachusetts DEP says they cannot be recovered once collected with trash; after GBH News' questions, it warned CMS.
After the warning, Wexler said recycling bins returned in reduced numbers. Republic Services said it does not intentionally mix recyclables with trash in its normal operations. Malden's city recycling pickup covers only buildings with six units or fewer; larger properties arrange private trash service without a requirement to include recycling. Massachusetts law also does not currently require recycling service in multifamily buildings.
A 2024 report cited by GBH News found that only about 43% of Massachusetts households in multifamily housing had access to recycling. In 2025, the DEP sent 14 letters and imposed one fine. State Rep. Michael Day has repeatedly backed a bill that would require apartment buildings to provide recycling.
